Parker's Birthday Party - A house divided

x.p.r.e.s.s. your faith this Xmas

I was cleaning out some stuff in my office this week and found a little card given to members of Perimeter Church (PCA) in Atlanta, Georgia. It's a tool used to prompt them to connect with their neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family. I couldn't help but think that maybe we should put a little X in Christmas. This is how they are challenged to share the gospel.

x = Christ (Greek)
p = Pray
r = Relate; build relationships with them
e = Expose them to God's people, His Word and the Kingdom
s = Share the Gospel
s = Sponsor them into the life of the Church

Have a Merry Christmas

Thank You St. Frank

I had some business at St. Patrick's School today so I walked on over. After I was through I went into the sanctuary for a brief prayer. While I was there I noticed two windows with St. Francis and St. Claire and was reminded of a prayer attributed to Francis. I once pasted the prayer to the pulpit of the Wanilla Baptist Church to remind me of my own calling.

Lord, make me an intrument

of your peace;

where there is hatred,

let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy;

Grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood,

as to understand,

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving

that we receive,

it is in pardoning

that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying

that we are born to eternal life.

Thank you Frank!

We'll Leave a Light on For You

Do you remember Tom Bodet from the Motel 6 radio spots? I heard him this morning do an ad for radio ads. He was talking about marketing plans that were complicated and that reduced people to "targets." He advised his listerners to talk to people instead. He asked the question, "What do you talk about?" He answered the question, "Talk about them."

I could not help but make a connection between the clear wisdom of the radio spot and personal evangelism. Kinnaman and Lyons' research revealed that many people outside the Christian faith believe that the church has reduced them to "targets" by the way we go about evangelism. This makes spiritual conversations all the more important. We can take some advice from Ole Tom Bodet. When we have spiritual conversations we shoult talk about -

THEM. Ministry must begin with our ears.

YOU. Friends are interested in you and will often give you a chance to make yourself known a little. Your story is important - tell it.

THE GOOD NEWS. We have a good message to share and we don't need to be ashamed of it.

Evangelism, in this season of history, takes place best within personal relationships. Remember to listen and share both your story and God's. Tom Bodet was known for saying, "We'll leave a light on for you." Leave the light of the gospel on for your friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors.

910 Talk Radio

Dr. Leake and I will be on the radio tonight from 5:00 - 6:00. We will be guests on Betty Lou Jones' show on 910 Talk Radio. Check it out if you can.